Beyond Internet etiquette: Physicians should be good Web hosts

It's becoming clear that more physician Web sites are on the way. The AMA has guidelines that can help physicians decide what should -- and should not -- be posted.

Editorial. Oct. 7, 2002.

The question about physicians and the Internet is no longer whether they will use it.

The American Medical Association's most recent annual study of physicians' World Wide Web use shows that 78% of doctors went online in 2001. That's up from 70% in 2000. On average, the physicians who used it were logged on an average of 7.1 hours a week last year, an increase over 2000's 6.2 hours.

Clearly, America's physicians are wired -- and not just to get stock quotes or to bid for an antique bed pan on eBay.

The vast majority used the Web for tasks such as accessing medical information, drug information and continuing medical education. In fact, 47% said the Web had a major impact on how they practice medicine, up from 41% in 2000. Widespread Web browsing extends well beyond the ranks of younger physicians, those assumed mostly likely to log on. Use by physicians older than 60 soared to 65% in 2001, up from 43% the previous year.

A smaller, but growing, number is the percentage of physicians with their own Web sites -- 29% in 2001, up from 26% in 2000. Eager to encourage that trend are services like the AMA- and medical society-owned Medem, which make building and expanding sites easy for doctors. Unlike the boom-to-bust cycle of flashy -- and many times foolish -- commercial sites, it is a good bet that the steady, quiet growth in physician sites will continue in coming years.

The shift from site visitor to site proprietor carries with it responsibilities -- especially for physicians. Fortunately, the AMA and others have already come up with ethical guidelines for physicians on the Web. Physicians don't have to feel as if they are taking a big leap for themselves, or their patients, into uncharted territory. [...]